Through All the Circling Years

i've been working on remembering to be grateful for all the many blessings i enjoy.  when we reach a certain age, we begin to see that our days on this earth are limited, at least in this present life.  upon awakening, i realize that i've been given a new day and that every moment of this day is precious.  there is no guarantee that i will see another.  as i've begun to realize this, i've become more aware of the many gifts each day brings.

the fact that this body which is aging still functions reasonably well is something to be grateful for.  i have a few aches and pains, but my legs still carry me wherever i want to go.  my back hurts some of the time, but i'm still able to do exercises that help alleviate the pain and strengthen my core muscles that help to support my spine.  i can eat pretty much anything i want without suffering ill consequences from the foods i enjoy.  i think my brain is still about as sharp as it ever was.  all things considered, as i approach my 77th birthday, i am grateful that my body still enables me to do whatever i demand of it.

i have the financial resources to live comfortably, to travel wherever i want to, and to make the home repairs and improvements that are needed.  i live in a lovely home.  i have two dependable vehicles to drive.  many of the world's people do not have such financial security.  while i worked hard for over fifty years to be in this position, there are others who have worked as hard or harder who struggle in their old age to make ends meet.  for the gift of a steady, plentiful income and healthy savings, i am grateful.

i am glad that my financial position affords me the opportunity to share what i have with others.  my wife and i are able to contribute to many worthy causes that make the world better for others.  we give much of what we have to charities that provide clothing and food to those in need.  each time we send money or goods to these charities, i am grateful that we are able to do so.

i can still delight in making music.  i play two or three sundays each month for a local church.  i look forward to each opportunity to play, and the congregation is quick to show its appreciation for the music i share with them.  i will always be grateful to my parents for giving me music lessons as a child and to my beloved teacher who showed me how to appreciate great music.  i am fortunate to have had many wonderful teachers over the years.  i hope that as i make music for others, they will be inspired to value the power of music to enrich all of our lives.

i am grateful for my loving family: for my wife of 55 years, for my two wonderful children and their partners, and to those who have gone before and for their contributions that made me who i am.  we are not isolated individuals who belong solely to ourselves.  we are an amalgam of all those who have played a role in our lives, including many ancestors of whom we know little or nothing.  

may we be grateful for all of life.  may we realize that blessings flow to us, the gifts of so many.  may we see that even our adversities bless our lives, helping us to become stronger and pushing us in directions we might not have chosen but which are nonetheless beneficial to us.  may we take time to count all those things for which we should be grateful and remember the importance of gratitude.  shalom.